Many people will know by now that Frank McCarthy passed away in October 2005.

Frank had a plot at Burley Model Allotments for only five years. In that short time he made a big difference by his tireless work looking for things that needed fixing, and fixing them.

Frank would not accept the post of Site Manager, because, he said, he did not want the responsibility, but he did the job all the same.

Even if you did not know his name, you will have seen him going round the site, as he did most days, in his baseball cap bearing his initials. Or you may have seen him sitting on the bench outside the hut in the evening, reflecting on the day’s work. Or maybe in his greenhouse, listening to his radio.

Frank took on the management of the lockers in 2004. He persuaded us into parting with the money to replace the guttering, and he painted and repaired most of the lockers himself. This role enabled him to meet new people, which was something he particularly enjoyed. When someone took over a vacant plot, Frank would wade in and help them to clear away rubbish.
In 2004-5 he persuaded Leeds City Council to let us have 11 free skips.

For the last three years, Frank was a greatly valued member of the BMAA committee. He brought many issues to our attention, and made sure they weren’t forgotten. Where he could, he would sort them out himself.

Frank always claimed to know nothing about gardening, although he knew a lot more than he let on, and he certainly had green fingers. He’d give anything a try, and the plants grew for him. Frank’s peppers and chillis were always outstanding. His runner beans were the best on the site, flourishing like tropical vines and dripping with pods. He saved his own runner bean seeds, and we have some of his last seeds to give away, in return for a small donation to BMAA’s chosen charity of the year.

There is no way we can replace Frank – there’s not another like him.